The Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation by Bjørn Willy Robstad
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The Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation By Bjørn Willy Robstad RESEARCH SERVICES SECTION PERSPEKTIV 01/20 The Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation By Bjørn Willy Robstad FOREWORD In 2009, the Storting established an international Delegation for Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation. It comprised six members and six substitute members. The setting-up of a delegation was a natural response to increasing international interest in the Arctic and the growth of a Norwegian High North policy. In the following article, I will examine the emergence and development of international Arctic cooperation since 1987, via the creation of the delegation in 2009, to the situation today. My emphasis is on parliamentary cooperation, which I have followed as Secretary General for the international collaboration from 2006 to 2016 and as the Storting’s delegation secretary since 2009. An overall presentation of this cooperation has not previously been written. I will also review key developments within the intergovernmental work in the Arctic Council. This is important for an overall understanding of Arctic cooperation and the interplay between parliamentarians and governments. I will consider the development of Norwegian High North policy, and look at how international cooperation has influenced the evolution of our national policy. I will finish by taking a closer look at cooperation with the European Parliament, and will consider how the Arctic Delegation has worked to protect Norwegian interests there. This part of the article is relatively extensive compared with other, possibly equally important topics. The main reason for this choice is that the Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation distinguishes itself from intergovernmental cooperation in this field. The European Parliament is a full member of the Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation, while the EU’s diplomatic service and the European Commission have the status of ad-hoc observers in the Arctic Council. I have also described how the Arctic Delegation has worked to influence the formulation of EU Arctic policy. This final element is an example of the delegation’s efforts outside the traditional meeting forums. I would like to extend a warm thank you to my colleagues Per S. Nestande and Margrethe Saxegaard, senior advisers in the Storting’s International Department, for their contributions – both text and ideas – to the section on the EU. Many thanks to Trond Gabrielsen, head of section in the same department, for his advice and proofreading of the article, and to my former colleague Kjell Myhre-Jensen for his important contribution to the contents of the article. Finally I big thank you to Chris Unwin for doing a marvellous job in translating the article from Norwegian to English. Bjørn Willy Robstad 17th August 2020 1 SUMMARY The Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation began in 1993 at a time when collaboration between the east and west was flourishing after the end of the Cold War. Since the very first meeting, the Storting has been highly influential in this cooperation, and several Norwegian MPs have chaired the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region. The members of the cooperation are Canada, Denmark (Greenland and the Faroe Islands), the European Parliament, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the USA. The region’s indigenous peoples are permanent participants, and there are several observers. The Storting’s Delegation for Arctic Parliamentary Cooperation was established in 2009. It comprises six members and six substitute members. The majority of parliaments in the other member states have also set up corresponding Arctic cooperation delegations. Living conditions for those who inhabit the North have consistently been at the top of the agenda. Cooperation within education, the impact of climate change on the Arctic, and the development of vigorous and sustainable communities in the North have been other key fields for the delegation, and for Arctic parliamentary cooperation as a whole. Intergovernmental collaboration in the Arctic Council has taken shape in parallel with the growth in the parliamentary dimension. Interaction between governments, parliamentarians and other players within Arctic cooperation has had a positive influence on international cooperation. Despite broader international tension and discord, member states have largely kept Arctic cooperation separate and have concentrated their efforts in areas where it has been possible to reach agreement. The thematic similarities between the two polar regions have led to the Arctic Delegation becoming involved in matters that relate to the Antarctic. This was initiated in 2015-16, at a time when the Storting was dealing with the white paper on the Antarctic. The head of the Arctic Delegation represented the Storting at the inaugural Antarctic Parliamentarians Assembly, which took place in London in early December 2019. 2 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1.1 The Storting’s international delegations .............................................................................. 1.2 What is the Arctic? ............................................................................................................... 2. THE STORTING ESTABLISHES AN ARCTIC DELEGATION ....................................... 2.1 A new spirit of cooperation in the North ............................................................................... 2.2 The start of international Arctic parliamentarian cooperation ……..................................... 3. FROM INDIVIDUAL MPS TO DELEGATIONS ……………............................................. 4. THE CONFERENCE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS OF THE ARCTIC REGION ................ 5. THE ARCTIC COUNCIL – INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION ......................... 5.1 The founding of the Arctic Council ................................................................................... 5.2 A successful international collaboration …........................................................................ 5.3 Some of the results of Arctic cooperation ……….............................................................. 6. COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ARCTIC COUNCIL AND THE ARCTIC PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION ………...................................................................... 7. IMPORTANT TOPICS WITHIN PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION ....................... 7.1 Education ........................................................................................................................... 7.2 Living conditions ............................................................................................................... 7.3 Economic development …….............................................................................................. 7.4 Climate change………….................................................................................................... 8. TRENDS IN ARCTIC COOPERATION …………............................................................ 8.1 New white paper on the High North, autumn 2020 ........................................................... 8.2 Changes in the geopolitical landscape ................................................................................... 8.3 A new forum for security policy? ………............................................................................. 8.4 COVID-19 and Arctic cooperation .................................................................................... 9. THE DELEGATION’S EXTERNAL ACTIVITIES ………............................................... 9.1 Arendal Week ………......................................................................................................... 9.2 Arctic conferences and forums ……………...................................................................... 10. THE HIGH NORTH DIALOGUE .................................................................................... 11. THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE EU IN ARCTIC COOPERATION ........ 11.1 Background …….............................................................................................................. 11.2 The European Parliament’s participation in Arctic cooperation ...................................... 11.3 Arctic resolutions and the seal issue …............................................................................ 11.4 How can Norway and the Storting influence matters? .................................................... 12. NORDIC ARCTIC MEETINGS ……............................................................................... 13. THE ANTARCTIC …........................................................................................................ 13.1 Background …….............................................................................................................. 13.2 The white paper on the Antarctic …................................................................................. 13.3 The first Antarctic Parliamentarians Assembly ............................................................... 14. CONCLUSION ………...................................................................................................... 3 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Storting’s international delegations The Storting has a long tradition of taking part in international cooperation. This work takes place primarily through the international delegations, but the Storting’s Presidium and the standing committees are also active participants. The Arctic Delegation is one of the Storting’s ten